Peruvian “Chicken” Stuffed Avocado

I used to frequent this Peruvian restaurant in the Bronx with super nice owners and delicious food. It was just the sort of place to pop into on a Saturday evening to watch a soccer match, enjoy the company of friends and eat delicious Peruvian cuisine. There are so many dishes that I miss from that restaurant but one that comes to mind the most is the stuffed avocados. I decided to recreate the dish with my own spin by using more colorful items (like heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers) to feed the eye as well as the stomach. This dish is great for a light lunch or an early supper. Click here to get the recipe.Ingredients

20 Baby Heirloom tomatoes (halved)

1 Small onion (diced)

8 Sprigs of fresh dill (minced)

1 Red bell pepper (diced)

3 Cloves of garlic (minced)

¼ Cup of nutritional yeast

2 Tablespoons of Olive oil

1 Large cucumber (chopped small)

1 Large lemon (juiced)

1 Cup of Veganaise or vegan mayo of your choosing

1 Tablespoon of sea salt

1 Teaspoon of turmeric (to add color)

8 Cups of light colored TVP crumbles

1 Veggie bouillon cube

12 ounces of hot water

1 Cup of water

1 Tablespoon of ground black pepper

6 Avocados

In a very large bowl, combine the 6 cups of TVP with 1 cup of water. Add the bouillon cube to 12 ounces of hot water and pour over the TVP. This will help to enhance the “chicken” flavor. Allow the TVP to soak in the liquid for 20-30 minutes in the fridge. It should swell up a bit from all of the liquid.

After 20-30 minutes take your TVP out of the fridge and begin to add all of the ingredients listed above to the same bowl. This includes the baby heirloom tomatoes, diced cucumber, fresh dill (minced), diced onion, Veganaise, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, lemon, nutritional yeast, bell pepper, olive oil, and turmeric. Stir everything together well. If you think there is too much liquid in the “chicken” salad, add more TVP to soak up the liquid. Then put it back in the fridge to chill for another 20 minutes. This will also allow it to marinate and soak up the seasoning. Later, cut each avocado in half and scoop the “chicken” salad into each half. Then serve and enjoy!

There are many other ways to eat this “chicken” salad. You can serve it on a vegan croissant as a sandwich. You can also serve it as a stuffed tomato bite appetizer by scooping out the insides of cherry tomatoes and stuffing them with this delicious vegan “chicken” salad. Either way, it will taste great!

I am a plus sized woman who set out on a quest to become healthier. It was on this journey to better health, that I discovered the joy of veganism through the teachings of Queen Afua, Nubia Sutton, and Breeze Harper, PhD. Join me as I recreate some of my pre-vegan favorites as well as the new vegan dishes I now enjoy.